Sixth Year, Month by Month
by kolrega
Summary: Follow HP,RW,HG,GiW,FW & GeW through a year of pain, love, enmities, triumph, despair, mystery, confusion, & work  essentially normal teenage life mixed with the threat of Voldemort.
1. Background Info

**Sixth Year, ****Month by Month ****by ****Kolrega**

**Background Info:**

**A/N:** Hey everyone! This is my first posted fan fiction. It is basically finished, but I will wait for a few reviews before I continue to post more chapters. Each chapter will follow the characters through a month of pain, love, enmities, triumph, despair, mystery, confusion, & work - essentially normal teenage life mixed with the threat of Voldemort. I am considering posting the sequel (Seventh Year, Month by Month), in which good old Voldie will finally be defeated and all the ships are left off satisfactorily, depending on people's reactions to the story.

This is mainly a Fred-Hermione pairing from a romantic point of view, but I will warn you now: if you are looking for pure fluff, PWP?, or smut, you will be gravely disappointed. This fanfic actually has a plot, should be novel-length, and focuses on more than the main pairing, but will be mostly centered on Hermione. There are no Mary-Sues.

It is based on cannon from books 1-5, and after that I completely disregard HBP (and DH). My writing style here is third person omniscient, and will balance dialogue with proper paragraphs. I would love to have someone beta my work (hint hint) so if you've got the time, please contact me!!!

**WARNINGS:** spoilers (books 1-5), swear words, mature themes, sexual situations (nothing graphic AT ALL – everything is either implied or mentioned by the narrating voice or characters), slight character-bashing, student-teacher lurve, a couple of OCs (not main characters)

**RATING:** PG-13

**SHIPS: ****Main ships - **eventualFred/Hermione, eventual Harry/Ginny, eventual George/Katie Bell, Cho/Ron/Luna, **Other ships - **Percy/Penelope, Remus/Tonks, Draco/OC

**GENRES:** General/Adventure/Romance/Humor/Mystery

**DISCLAIMER:** All characters, places, events, creatures, etc. mentioned in this FF that originate from JK Rowling's material belong to the amazing JK Rowling. Any other character, place, event, creature, etc. that is not found in HP cannon is mine.


	2. Chapter 1: August  Part I

**Sixth Year, Month by Month**** by ****Kolrega**

**DISCLAIMER:** All characters, places, events, creatures, etc. mentioned in this FF that originate from JK Rowling's material belong to the amazing JK Rowling. Any other character, place, event, creature, etc. that is not found in HP cannon is mine.

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**Chapter 1: August**** – Part I**

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix didn't look very professional at all. One would have expected the place where Voldemort-destroying tactics were developed to be impressive, to exude an inspiring air, to stimulate the mind, and to preach the meaning of self-sacrifice. In short, one would expect it to be somewhat remarkable. It wasn't. Currently, the ancestral home of the Noble House of Black was in shambles.

The root of the problem was that six teenagers were now calling this top-secret Headquarters "home". Harry had been saved from the Dursley's after a month of isolation. For once, Harry had been the one to lock _himself_ in his room and refuse to eat more than the occasional vegetable soup from a can. In order to lift Harry's spirits and take his mind off of the feelings of guilt and sorrow due to Sirius' death, the four youngest Weasleys and Hermione were trying to spend as much time as possible with The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Unfortunately for Hermione, this meant spending a lot of time with Fred and George. She was very well aware that just standing next to them was dangerous. It wasn't as if they were heartless or cruel, but their idea of fun was usually at someone else's expense, and since they _were_ sensitive enough not to prank Harry, only three other options were left: Ron, Ginny, and, of course, Hermione.

The troublesome duo had been furious when they heard that they were unable to open shop at Diagon Alley due to their lack of a Hogwarts diploma and NEWTs. They couldn't believe that they had been so close to fulfilling their dream of opening a joke shop, yet they were thwarted by the Entrepreneur Act of 1931. To them, the law was completely outdated, especially since Britain was not suffering any kind of economical depression. The Weasley family never thought they'd see the day when Fred and George would willingly research Muggle history (namely the Great Depression), and the effects it had on the magical world. They had spent all of May and June trying to lift the laws, but to no avail. Needless to say, Mrs. Weasley was ecstatic. Not only were her rebellious sons returning to Hogwarts to complete their seventh year, but they had actually done something educational during their school-free months.

Surprisingly, the Weasley twins' humor did not suffer from the unexpected setback. They continued to work diligently on new lines of joke and defense products. After moping for a few days, they decided that they could always run their business through owl-order, and they proceeded to deal with the legal process of starting a business. The inhabitants of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place began to suspect even the most innocent of objects that were found throughout the house, knowing that the twins were testing their new products in anticipation of the upcoming school year.

Harry seemed to brighten up considerably whenever anyone became a victim of Fred and George's antics. One memorable experience had him chuckling with glee every time he saw Prof. Snape at Headquarters. It had happened in the beginning of August, just a few days after he had joined Ron and Hermione. Fred and George had "mistakenly" placed a charmed spoon from their Chaotic Cutlery line by Prof. Snape's plate one evening while setting the table. They had enchanted the spoon to look like the regular cutlery, but the moment when someone would actually try to use the spoon, it would become animated. This particular spoon was spelled to croon lullabies in a voice that sounded suspiciously like that of Celestina Warbeck.

On that particular evening, the entire Order of the Phoenix had gotten together for a meeting at Headquarters. By the time everyone had sat down for dinner, Prof. Snape was not in a good mood. He had been forced by Molly Weasley to stay and eat, and he was not happy. He looked moodily down is crooked nose at the bowl of stew that had been set before him, and missed the mischievous smirks Fred and George had shared. He was just about to dip his spoon into the stew, when the spoon gave a little shiver, and a mouth puckered from the silver curve. No-one at the table, not even Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, could contain their laughter when the little spoon started singing, "…the little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon," in a warbling tone, while Snape looked at the offending piece of cutlery in horror.

Ever since that evening, Hermione viewed the Weasley twins in a whole new light. She had spent the greater part of her fifth year prefect efforts on curbing the twins' mischief, yet she couldn't help laughing uncontrollably at the sight of the greasy Potions Master being serenaded a children's rhyme by a soupspoon. The spells required to charm the little spoon were extremely advanced, and she was surprised when she realized that the joke products required a lot of intelligence to develop. She didn't approve of testing products on teachers, but she admitted to herself that a little harmless joke now and then wouldn't hurt. Hermione couldn't help noticing, though, that Harry had not laughed as much as he did that night ever since Sirius had fallen through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries. That alone was enough for her to keep quiet about the twin's disrespectful behavior towards the professor. She groaned, thinking about what everyone would say if they heard that rule-abiding, perfect Hermione was actually endorsing, albeit secretly, Fred and George's pranks.

The twins, of course, were flabbergasted by her reaction. They had expected a furious reproach, and were stunned when they didn't receive any from Hermione. Their mother, on the other hand, was a whole different story. She had forced them to apologize, and organized a detention with Prof. Snape the week after they return to school.

"Damn. We aren't even in school yet and we already have detention!" George commented ruefully to his twin. Ginny giggled, Harry smiled, Hermione huffed (to keep up appearances), and Ron looked confused.

"How'd you get detention?" Ron asked Fred, having missed his mother's ranting while stuffing his face with mashed potatoes. Hermione shook her head as the twins started making fun of how dense their brother was. Harry explained to Ron about what had happened after the prank, and Hermione and Ginny just rolled their eyes. The six teenagers were then sent up to bed by a slightly miffed Mrs. Weasley, but not before they made plans for the next day to keep from dying of boredom while under house arrest.

**TBC**

**Read, Review! Constructive criticism is WELCOMED. If you find any errors, please tell me!**

**- Kolrega**


	3. Snape  Settling the Score?

**Sixth Year, ****Month by Month****by ****Kolrega**

**DISCLAIMER:** All characters, places, events, creatures, etc. mentioned in this FF that originate from JK Rowling's material belong to the amazing JK Rowling. Any other character, place, event, creature, etc. that is not found in HP cannon is mine.

_**Snape - Settling the Score?**_

_Severus __Snape__ was __definitely__ one to keep a grudge. __He was a __Slytherin__, after all - even if he was spying for the Order. __F__ollowing__ that ghastly encounter with the Chaotic Cutlery line__ during dinner, __he was itching to wrap his long, delicate fingers around either __Weasley__ twins' neck. __Although he knew that it was impossible, Severus had always felt that the twins were somehow channeling the marauding spirits of James Potter and Sirius Black.__ They were self-__centred__ pranksters, __had no respect for dignified professors (but in all honesty, Severus knew that he was the only dignified professor at Hogwarts), __Weasleys, __and Gryffindors to boot.__ He had every reason to be angry, and Severus __wanted to make sure that they would never mess with him ever again.__ Severus decided to bide his time with his plan of revenge. He would wait until the perfect opportunity, and then – he would strike._

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**A/N: Hello again! The next chapter will be MUCH longer, but I won't post it until I get at least one more review! Although I appreciate the number of people adding Sixth Year, Month by Month to their alert list, I need more feedback. I'm gonna be out of the country most of August, so I won't be able to post any more for a long time. If you review fast, and I'll post before my trip.**

** - Kolrega**


	4. Chapter 2: August Part II

**Sixth Year, ****Month by Month ****by ****Kolrega**

**DISCLAIMER:** All characters, places, events, creatures, etc. mentioned in this FF that originate from JK Rowling's material belong to the amazing JK Rowling. Any other character, place, event, creature, etc. that is not found in HP cannon is mine.

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**Chapter 2: August – Part II**

Ginny was dreaming of Tom Riddle again. Blood, feathers, and ink spilled across her subconscious mind, while fragments of memories and conversations were replayed over and over again in her nightmares, until she woke up sweating with a gasp. She glanced at Hermione, noting bitterly that Hermione, at least, was not terrorized during the night. As she tiptoed out of their room, Hermione shifted in bed, making the shocking, dark purple scar on her chest visible. Ginny immediately felt guilty for her slightly vicious thoughts. Hermione had suffered enough over the years, especially this past summer with Grawp and the Department of Mysteries. She had proved an invaluable friend to Harry, as well as the entire Weasley family. Ginny left the room she shared with her best friend quietly, determined not to wake anyone from their valuable sleep. Making her way downstairs, Ginny saw a light through the crack beneath the living-room door. She pushed it open silently, and the sight that met her eyes made her heart ache.

Harry was sitting on the couch, facing the fire that was slowly burning down. He had dark shadows under his eyes and a forlorn expression on his face, making him look twenty years older than his sixteen years. She sat down beside him, not talking, each taking comfort in the other's presence.

It was ten to six in the morning, and Molly Weasley was walking downstairs to start preparing breakfast for her "troops", clearing up messes with a few well-placed _scourgifies_ along the way. She was prepared to wage a war against the dirt that persistently covered the ancient house, but the sight that met her eyes when she advanced onto the living-room made her smile and shut the door quietly; neglecting her housewifely obligations.

Harry and Ginny were asleep, sitting side by side on the couch, with Ginny's head leaning on Harry's shoulder and Harry's head resting on top of the copper curls. It has been a while, Molly thought to herself, since either one has slept dreamlessly; they deserved a few more hours of rest. She warded the door, so that no-one other than Molly or the two teenagers inside would be able to open it, and hurried on to the kitchen.

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**A/N: AHHHH! I am moving out today (out of the house & out of the country for a year of volunteer work), plus flying to Europe tonight for a short, two week vacation before work. I took my last high school exam yesterday FINALLY and my friver's permit this morning. Damn my life has been hectic! I should be packing or clearing out my room, but instead I am updating my story. How sad is that? LOL. But, I promised to update, so...here I am! Lots of love to my readers, but extra hugs and kisses to my reviewers: _Trainwreck729_ (who has been awesome and reviewed twice),** **_PirateFanatic_, and _Phoenix Feather Queens_. Next Update should be around September. I'm sorry this chappie's short, but I wanted to separate the Ginny/Harry ship from the overall plot to make it more prominent. Oh, I almost forgot - please review!**

**- Kolrega**


	5. Chapter 3: August Part III

**Sixth Year, ****Month by Month ****by ****Kolrega**

**DISCLAIMER:** All characters, places, events, creatures, etc. mentioned in this FF that originate from JK Rowling's material belong to the amazing JK Rowling. Any other character, place, event, creature, etc. that is not found in HP cannon is mine.

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**Chapter 3: August – Part III **

As August came to an end, Harry and Ginny were getting much more sleep as a result of their nightly meetings in the old parlor of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Both wanted to keep their new sleeping arrangement secret, and as a result Mrs. Weasleywould wake them up early each morning to give them time to return to their respective bedrooms.

While Harry and Ginny were successfully keeping their secret just that – a secret, Ron was not doing a very good job of keeping his in the dark. He was often seen writing letters, and unintentionally drew everyone's curious gazes to them. He would sit in the kitchen, writing furiously, yet when anyone walked too close to the table, he would hastily cover the parchment. A tiny brown owl became a regular visitor, but no-one knew who she was delivering letters from. Whenever Hermione or Harry broached the subject, Ron would mumble that he had something to do, but the reddening of his ears gave away his embarrassment. His best friends, although hurt that he wouldn't clue them in, decided to let it go. His twin brothers, though, were not as understanding.

Towards the end of August, Ron actually left his lunch before he took a third helping because of George and Fred's joke about how he was having an affair with Neville Longbottom's Gran. They had gotten the inspiration from Harry and Ron's conversation just minutes earlier, in which they discussed Neville's grandmother giving him a new owl because of his heroic involvement in the battle at the Ministry. Of course, they had to connect this little piece of information with the mysterious correspondent of Ron's.

For Ron, this jab was the straw that broke the camel's back, and he left the table furious. Hermione and Harry shared a significant look, and after nodding to Hermione, Harry stood and followed Ron out of the room. The twins had seen the whole episode, and shared _their_ significant looks, this time of fear. Although their mother had left for Diagon Alley with Ginny, and was not present to scold them, Fred and George knew that Hermione was just as bad to cross.

And "cross" did not even cover half of the young woman's wrath.

"George! Fred! How could you do that to your brother!? Everyone has the right to privacy, and the two of you crossed the line." She didn't raise her voice, as to not alert Ron of her interference, but the twins heard the razor-sharp tone of her words. Feeling that an onslaught of scolding was guaranteed, Fred and George held their breaths in dread.

But, once again, Hermione surprised them. Instead of yelling as expected, the young woman just sat, moving her eyes from one twin to the other. Used to their mother's favoured form of reprimanding them for their actions, Fred and George began to feel uncomfortable under Hermione's unwavering gaze. The two nineteen-year-olds squirmed in their seats like two toddlers caught doing something ill-disciplined. In a way, this reproach held much more weight than the usual ones they received.

Feeling that she had made her point, Hermione stood, breaking eye contact with George and turned to look at Fred. "You should try apologizing, for once." She turned to find her two best friends, but stopped at the doorway when she saw their mute, and miniscule, nods, signaling that they would consider her suggestion. Hermione walked back to the table and placed one small hand on the shoulder of each twin and gave them a light squeeze. By the time they could express their astonishment, Hermione had already silently left the room, leaving Fred and George to ponder her reaction, as well as action.

Later that day, Hermione heard Ron's agitated voice from inside the room she shared with Ginny. She peered out the door to see what was happening in the hallway. To her surprise, she saw two identical boys walk into Harry and Ron's bedroom, shutting the door behind them quietly. After waiting an unproductive few moments for any signs of yelling, Hermione let a small smile grow on her face, and closed the door.

**TBC **

**A/N: Hey!!! Here's the third chapter of SYMbM, and I know it is very, very short, but please keep in mind that it was originally part of Ch.2. I spent a fantastic two weeks of vacation in Ireland and London, and cleared my mind from the stress of school. Well, school started again last Sunday, and I will still need to show up before 8:00, but this time I won't be a student, just a volunteer, so it isn't the same. Because of my volunteer work, though, I will not have internet access from Sunday till Thursday, for the rest of the year. All my writing is now done in notebooks, and I only type the chapters out when I crash at my extended family's homes. Anyone who's following the story can expect an update or two per month. I'm really excited for the January-February chappies, those will be exciting (expect a huge twist in the story); November also has a lot of plot development. September and October will be a bit short and not too interesting, but they are essential for November. **

**I do have one question, though: **

**How graphic do you readers want this fanfic to be? I know I said it wouldn't be too bad, but I personally like to see at least _some_ action between the characters. I think that I might make two versions of certain scenes for those who don't want anything too detailed. Please tell me what you think. **

**As always, I'm sending all my readers an enormous THANK YOU from across the Atlantic (assuming you are all in North America), and to my wonderful reviewers a FF double-fudge sundae with whipped cream and, of course, a cherry on top. **

**Love, Kolrega.**


	6. Chapter 4: September Part I

**Sixth Year, Month by Month**** by Kolrega**

**DISCLAIMER:** All characters, places, events, creatures, etc. mentioned in this FF that originate from JK Rowling's material belong to the amazing JK Rowling. Any other character, place, event, creature, etc. that is not found in HP cannon is mine.

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_**Mirror Mirror, On The Wall, **__**Who's The Handsomest Of Them All?**_

_**(Draco's August)**_

_Draco Malfoy looked at his image in the mirror of his bathroom, smugly examining his toned arms and chest, while brushing his platinum-blond hair out of his face. Preening in front of his mirror was one of his favourite pastimes, along with Quidditch, snogging silly witches, and mocking Potty, the Mudblood and Weasel-litter. _

"_Young Master Malfoy," his mirror commented, "you are the most fine-looking Malfoy to grace this manor since your ancestor Scorpius the Second died from a backfiring spell in 1786."_

_Although utterly uninterested in history, Draco smirked; even his mirror knew how handsome he was. _

_He turned this way and that, trying to decide if his left side was more perfect than his right, before finally deciding that his flawless body was just too perfect to be human. _

"Naturally_, both my sides are equally perfect," he mused aloud._

_Unfortunately, his preoccupation with his own face in the mirror caused him not to notice the wand pointing at him from the doorway, barely registering the squeaked warning of "Careful!" coming from the mirror before the "_Stupefy_" hit him squarely in the back._

_The last thing he saw was a pair of ruthless brown eyes, gazing calmly at him from behind, reflected in the mirror._

"_Now I know how Narcissus Malfoy's magical pool felt firsthand," the mirror remarked, as the unconscious body of his Master Draco was unceremoniously dragged out of the washroom._

**Chapter 4: September – Part I**

The teens' Hogwarts letters had arrived by the end of August, and it came as no surprise that Hermione and Ron were once again Prefects. A real cause of celebration was when Harry opened his letter and found that he was the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, immediately igniting a long-awaited spark in his eyes. But it was Ginny's letter that started the drama at the breakfast table, when a Prefect badge tumbled out of the envelope. Congradulations were heard from all aroud, and Mrs. Weasley couldn't help dabbing her eyes. The twins set off some mini fireworks, which were spelled to always remain room-temperature as a safety precaution, and Hermione gave Ginny a hug.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Weasley took one look at the fireworks, and immediately ruined the good mood.

"I am so glad that Ginny became a Prefect," she gushed. "So far five of my children have done some good for the Weasley name at Hogwarts, and although I know I couldn't expect Fred and George to contribute to the family honour, I am so glad that my baby has! This just shows that she has a respectable future."

The table went quiet, and although they didn't let on, Hermione could tell that the two boys were stung by their mother's blatant disapproval and lack of support of their preferred carreer. The rest of breakfast was a hushed affair; the silence only broken by Mrs. Weasley's happy humming.

September first arrived, and as usual, Platform 9 ¾ was crowded with the student of Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, who were bursting with excitement as they made their way onto the Hogwarts Express with their trunks, dragging around their parents as they met up with their friends.

Harry felt many stares and whispers following him as he walked alongside the Weasleys and Hermione. Being the boy-who-lived, then the boy-who-was-doubted, and then believed (only after breaking into the most guarded departments in the Ministry of Magic to reveal Voldemort to Fudge) had inflated his worth as gossip-material a hundredth-fold. Apparently that was even possible.

It didn't help that he was a part of the most noticeable group of students on the platform, and that the twins were bowing at all those who questioned their return to school and were generally wreaking havoc on unsuspecting students by sending various spells flying in all directions, not at all minding if any of the spells _accidentally_ hit a parent. Or two. Or three.

"Hey Ron, who do you think's gonna try out for Keeper this year?" Harry asked, only to find Ron craning over the sea of heads, obviously searching for someone.

Ron didn't answer, not hearing his mate's question.

"Since Ron's out looking for his 'secret' admirer, I think that Cormac McLaggen's gonna try out. Merlin knows, he's tried out every year since his second year five years ago. He was barely bested each year," Ginny commented.

This sparked a Quidditch conversation that lasted all through the boarding of the train, even managing to capture Ron's attention as well as Fred and George's. Hermione, uninterested, let Crookshanks out of his basket for the ride, and made her way to the Prefects' Carriage for the start-of-term meeting with Professor McGonagall and the Head Boy & Girl, pulling Ron along with her.

They joined the group of prefects that were going into the compartment, easily spotting Malfoy and Parkinson, the Slytherin Prefects. Hermione found it slightly out of the ordinary that Malfoy hadn't used the opportunity to ridicule her when she stumbled after being _nudged_ into the compartment by Pansy Parkinson, and even odder that Ron didn't use the disturbance as a reason to confront the Slytherins. Although, at the meeting, Hermione couldn't help but notice that Luna was sending dreamy smiles in Ron's direction, and that Ron was rubbing his reddening nape while shooting glances in return.

"Do you mind if I… er… head off to Luna and Neville's compartment? Neville said he…err… wants to show me…" Ron had turned to Hermione at the end of the meeting, trying to ask her to excuse him, but couldn't quite find a believable excuse.

"Show you what?" She replied, with a small smirk in Luna's direction.

"A Groaning Gardenia!" Ron finished somewhat triumphantly, his ears turning red.

Hermione smiled her consent, not mentioning that the plant was, in fact, called a _Growling _Gardenia, that the smallest size recorded for that specific plant was larger than Hagrid, or that it was native to China. Hermione watched as the two walked ahead, standing closer than necessary to each other, and made a mental note to tell Ginny that she owed her a butterbeer.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrenched Hermione painfully into an empty compartment, and she was slammed against the windows. Her scream was silenced by a pale hand, almost suffocating her as it covered all her mouth and half of her nose.

When Hermione finally looked up, she forced herself not to flinch at the sight of the two evil brown eyes belonging to…

**TBC**

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**A/N: YES! It's a cliffy!! And although my cousin here tells me I should be ashamed, since I haven't updated in God knows how long, and now I'm apparently whetting the appetite of my faithful readers, I will not succumb to the feelings of guilt. **

**Shoot. I already have. So now I apologize for the rather long delay. I make no excuses. I suck at updating.**

**But maybe, just maybe, could I get some more feedback? Maybe a good, swift, kick in the arse would do as well, but since this is all virtual, a review would work just the same.**

**Fancy giving it a shot?**

**-Kolrega**

**PS:**

**ZutaraFWHG4eva:** I know, I know, I'm lazy. My grandmother says it's because I'm a Pisces. I blame it on being a teenager. I won't lie; those annoying little shortcuts will probably crop up like dandelions in my writing. Hopefully my less lazy side will be working more efficiently while I type in the future. But, I dedicate the "Professor McGonagall" (see above) to you!

**MrsJulyhaMalfoy:** This isn't much of an improvement, but it is a step forward, right? )

**nomanslandvicki: **I totally agree on the action, and so far 100 percent of the people responding to my question in Ch.4 do as well, since you're the only one! So, as long as no-one disagrees, action's-a-coming!

**CrzyInsaneFanatic:** Some chances for suspense were probably ruined in this chapter.

**daphee:** Thanks!


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